I was up in Manc this weekend to meet up with some old uni friends and to hangout with the 'Poon-tang Clan' from this forum on the Friday night.

So, Nova and I head to the rendez-vous point which is the old mans watering hole known as 'spoons' in Piccidilly to meet up with the others. I instantly spot a group of meat-head scals with some filthy looking girls with them, one of these girls looks about 19 and is already missing front teeth! (oh boy! I think to myself).

Roodys the first one there, we join him. He's looking smooth as fuck we have a chat and catch-up. Sapmis next to arrive and comes bounding in full of life and confidence. I've not seen him since last summer and he's a changed man!! He is much more comfortable in his own skin, and is exhuding alot more confidence than I've seen from him before. This is great to see.

Next up Simply Dave turns up, its always great to be around him. I swear this guy is the smoothest mofo on the planet!! Tom eventually joins us and as always he doesn't dissappoint, always lively and in good spirits. Big Dave shows up, its the first time i've met him. He seems like a cool cat. Roody spots some sets he's interested in and goes off to do his thing. The rest of us sit around and chill. It's great that we are at the point where we can sit and chill and if people want to go off and open a set they do so, nobody needs to be forced into a 'set'.

We all head to Jillys, we warm-up to what sounds like German 'industrial metal' by forming a circle and taking it in turns to perform ridiculous dance moves in the centre. The group becomes dispersed doing our own thing.
Im hanging out mainly in the punk/ska/hardcore room.

The group are disappearing and its just me and Tom left to represent! We are going 'mad for it' on the dancefloor...this is Manchester after all so it would be rude not to. Spot a couple of sexy foreign looking girls on the dancefloor dancing wildly and generally cock-teasing all the boys. I want to approach but im feeling intimidated my all this 'percieved' power they are possessing. They've gone, the venue seems to be dieing so Tom and I decide to call it a night.

On the way out, I spot one of the said little minxes alone outside having a fag. It's now or never, Tom tells me I should. She has a foreign look to her, for some reason I'm thinking French, so I march over to her and open her in French. She's suprised and to my suprise she speaks back to me in fluent French. Turns out she's a French/Syrian/English hybrid. We chat, chill and share a cigarette. She's stone cold sober as she doesnt drink. Moments later im surrounded by a couple of chodes that she met earlier that night who are pandering to her, I handle these guys no problem just by introducing myself to them in a strong and confident manner...they are disarmed.

Soon more guys come along and her best friend comes over and begins interrogating me. I call in for air support and Tom swoops in as my wing-man and does a good job keeping the others distracted. I go for the number, and say 'What is the likelihood you will actually respond to my calls or texts because if you've got no intention then we may as well not bother'. She says she will respond if I contact her. I get the digits. We hug, I spin her (kinda lame to some I know but I like doing it) and say our goodbyes.

Saturday and Sunday sees an exchange of text messages, she's writing overly romanticised texts yet playing it coy. I call her out and say 'I can tell you like me' She gets abit defensive about this but I can tell she's intrigued as am I. She says she wants to meet up but gives bullshit reasons as to why she can't. Lately ive been able to spot token resistance such as this. After some advice from Nova he says to be demanding. I tell her how we are gonna play it and tell her when and where to meet me. She says she'll flip a coin as she can't decide to meet me or not.

'Im gonna toss a coin. Heads says no i aint comin 2cu 2day. Tails says yes. Il text ya the result'.

10 mins later;

'Shit! U win!, god is in your side. Its gonna be a real rush tho, I dont even know what time I can get 2 town..But I gave the coid god-status. So i try to hurry. Where you wana meet then?'

I phone her and tell her when and where.

We meet up in Piccidily gardens and go for coffee. She's great, really fun and endearing, we have alot in common. I make fun of her reluctance to meet me. To my suprise she tells me she was lieing, she wanted to meet me all along but told me honestly she was teasing me to see how I would react and to see if I was worthy. She was alittle apprehensive as she'd never been out on a date with a total stranger she'd met in a bar/club before. This goes to show that guys (me included) need to just push-on when faced with resistance as this resistance can be token, girls set tests for you but secretly they want you to pass them.

I soon had to leave to catch a train home, she wanted to know when I would next be in Manchester. (I don't know). She gave me the coin she (supposedly) flipped as a momento for me to remember her by. It was actually quite touching.

Just wanted to say a big thank you to Tom for winging me and also for letting me kip at yours when I showed up at your door at 5am!! Cheers mate.

Great to see all the boys out that night as well.

Sorry i couldn't make it man.. had every intention of coming on on friday night, but driving toand from chesterfield that afternoon just took it out of me and i had a rather lame early night.

Sounds like you had a blast and hopefully see you real soon.

Retro

Well done pushing through the girl's pretend defenses Stu and for taking some risks with this. It paid off.

Oh yeah, and make sure you're up asap. I wanna go Jilly's again!

You were awesome especially since the night hadn't really been about approaching or maybe that's why.
She was a right hottie, haha I actually winged ok then?! Usually I'm shit.

Next time Ash go out later or don't get as hammered early on!

I know Tom. I was really knackered so getting so wasted didn't help one bit! The worst bit was when Rood introduced us all to some girls and I said hello to one of them and couldn't be bothered carrying on the interaction! Where was the 'wing' in me? Where was the 'You gotta meet my mate Hustler he's a legend'? I feel ashamed about this behaviour. I shall make sure I do not get so damn pissed in future and put myself out more for my friends.

@Tom, yeah you did a good job mate. Was also good to discover that we both like the same obscure bands that no one else seems to like! lol.

@Nova, perhaps curb your enthusiasm for double bourbons. lol!